Did I Enjoy Tenerife?

I traveled to the most famous Canary Island and I am not sure I liked it

Two surprising experiences characterized my trip to Tenerife: the best Indian meal of my life (abroad) and a brush-off with death. Neither of them is what I would have expected.

I traveled to Tenerife with a specific goal in mind: to relax and unwind from what had been an intense summer at work. I had delayed my travel plans to September, so I could backup my colleagues during their summer holidays. The aim was to then enjoy a relaxing time when everyone was back grinding.

I picked Tenerife because to me it promised all I needed: a beautiful sea, sandy beaches, festive towns, delicious food, cheap flights, and affordable hotels. This is what I needed and in these terms, Tenerife did not disappoint.

I had an early confirmation of my travel plans right outside of baggage claim when all the party boys on the plane (tens and tens of young men — no girls in sight) took a metaphorical right, while I took a left towards the calm Costa Adaje.

Very well aware that Tenerife can be a party island, I steered clear of those locations as they did not align with the aim of my trip: a chilled beach vacation. Adaje was just what I wanted, a fairly quiet location for middle-aged British couples and elderly groups of friends, that ticked every box. Sandy beaches — check. Calm bays — check. Good restaurants — check. Absence of clubs and party music — check.

My unrest however emerged after my very first beach day and evening stroll. An uneasiness crept from the bottom of my stomach and it had nothing to do with the overly oily fried tapas. Around me, I could not see a lot of Spain. I could not see a lot of West Africa (100 Km away). I could not see a lot of culture. At least not in the way I had expected. So I thought and thought and realized what Tenerife reminded me of. It reminded me of Cancun, a fictitious place built for the pleasure of international tourists.

It did not sink well with me.

Thankfully, I did not give up. I refused to believe that everything could be summed up in an aggregation of resorts, streets full of restaurants, and tourist shops. Shisha, tapas, magnets, knock-off bags. There had to be more.

I made my way to the north of the island, having read that this is where locals actually dwell. I started with San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the old capital of the Canary Islands, where I got caught in the midst of a Holy Christ Procession. Unfortunately, this meant I couldn’t access many historic sites, but it showed me the meaning of “the Florence of the Canary Islands”.

The next stop was La Orotava. Getting to it was the best part as it brought us very close to the volcanic national park of Teide. Tenerife is a volcanic island whose very existence is strictly tied to this volcano, from the black beaches to the basalt and pyroclastic materials dominating the landscape, to the endemic plants and flowers only found on the island. Every year the ash of the volcano eruptions is taken to La Oratava to compose the traditional carpets in honor of Corpus Christ. Since the volcano is only dormant, new eruptions are expected to replenish the ash stack.

For lunch, I stopped at Garachico, most famous for the natural pools depicted in the picture above. These are natural coves that let the seawater in but shield swimmers from the ocean currents and inevitable waves. This is also a great spot to do a tasting of the famous Canary Islands wine, which together with banana plantations, dominate this side of the island. I still remember a story my dad used to tell me recounting how at a time when European vineyards were taken down by a pest, exports of wine from the Canary Islands rescued the continent’s otherwise-dry dinner tables. Garachico would surely make for a lovely retirement location, but it was while journeying to the next stop that my whole life flashed before my eyes.

Take a good look at the tiny town in the picture above. Beautiful, isn’t it? 750 meters above sea level, this small jewel is set in the mounts of the Teno Rural Park. The setting is surreal and the view is objectively stunning, but is it worth the near brush with death required to reach it?

The tortuous, mountainous road to reach Masca is extremely narrow, especially in its multitude of bends. The bus I rode could not fit. So, when reaching each bend, the bus had to complete this same routine (every. single. time.): go forward, start turning, stop, back up towards the cliff, complete the bend. At every twist and turn, I saw myself backing off the cliff. The tension in the bus was palpable. All the passengers caught into an eery silence, broken only when we descended on the other side of the mountain with a final, liberatory clap (not dissimilar to claps on planes).

I am not sure I would recommend it.

So in the end, did I enjoy Tenerife? Even now, I am not too sure. It surely delivered on its original promise, a chilled beach vacation to unwind from office stress. But would I recommend it or even go back? Probably, but bearing in mind that catching a glimpse of the real Tenerife requires a careful calibration of party hubs and fictional towns, raised only for the benefit of tourists.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to how we want to shape a vacation. While longing for relaxation and sandy beaches, locations void of culture and personality do not satisfy me. The lack of any West African influence compared to the abundance of delicious Indian restaurants still confuses me. And yet, it is only a matter of perspective.

The real Tenerife lies in the statues of the Kings of Guanches who stood up to the invaders, the hiking trails to Mount Teide, the dramatic cliffs in the north, the flower festival of La Orotava, the stunning Basilica of Candelaria. If you are like me and you are not content with a party town or a beach location unhinged from its surrounding context, then take the time to explore the beautiful Tenerife beyond its potent, touristic magnetic poles. It is the only way to truly enrich your experience on the island and return home with more than just a bronze tan and a bag of souvenirs.